Benita Sharp

Benita Dell Brown Sharp, 92, a longtime Crockett resident died in Temple Sunday night, February 8, 2026. She was born June 19, 1933, in Wortham to Lewis and Clarabell Brown. Following the death of her mother when she was 12, the family moved to Mexia where she graduated from high school.

After high school, she attended Sam Houston State Teacher's College where she met the love of her life, Billy Sharp of Crockett. They were married on September 4, 1953, in Mexia and completed their degrees as married students. Their marriage carried them from Huntsville to Houston to Crockett with stops in Fort Dix, NJ; Shreveport, LA.; and Teague over the years.

Benita, an elementary school teacher, retired from teaching in 1992 after 32 years in the classroom. While most of her teaching years were in the Houston and Bellville school districts, her last 15 years were at Crockett Elementary where she had a reputation as an exceptional and compassionate educator. Even in retirement, she was still a teacher, spelling and sounding out words to her grandchildren with magnetic letters on the fridge.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Billy; sons, Billy Wayne and Baby Boy Sharp; parents, Lewis and Clarabell Brown; brothers, Billy Brown, James Brown, A.T. Brown, Darwin Brown and Esau Brown.

She is survived by son and daughters-in-law, Barry and Suzanne Sharp of Temple, Jeanna Driver of Houston; granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Bethany and Fred Rodriguez of Aubrey; grandson, Benton Sharp of Crockett; great-grandsons Maddox, Rylan and Wilder Rodriguez of Aubrey; best friend, Patsy Locke of Baytown; numerous nieces and nephews.

A lifelong Methodist, services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 13, 2026 at the First United Methodist Church in Crockett where she was a member for the past half century. Visitation will be at 9:30 a.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery in Crockett. Officiants will be Revs. Cindy Doran and Barry Sharp.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Benita Sharp's name to the J.H. Wooters Crockett Public Library, 709 E. Houston, Crockett, to further their goal of promoting reading and education for the residents of Houston County. (Library staff suggest putting a note indicating in honor of Benita Sharp in the memo line of the check or attaching a note to the donation.)

Online condolences may be left at www.callawayallee.com

CALLAWAY-ALLEE FUNERAL HOME